


Interval

by chipushit



Series: DC AU where Boostle is a happy couple [2]
Category: Blue Beetle (Comics), Booster Gold (Comics), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Family Bonding, Happy, M/M, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-02
Updated: 2019-02-02
Packaged: 2019-10-21 04:07:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17635736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chipushit/pseuds/chipushit
Summary: For the boostle giftathon on tumblr! LoT Rip paying a very short visit to an AU Ted and Booster.





	Interval

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thepopculturejunky on tumblr](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=thepopculturejunky+on+tumblr).



This summer had been filled with such an unexpected spike of temperatures, that Metropolis had been trapped in a heatwave for almost an entire week, leaving most of the city covered under a blanket of malaise. Not even the upgrades that Kord Industries had carried out for the city's power stations were helping with the drain on the system due to the heat. There had been as many public service announcements as there had been rolling blackouts.

Ted had easily built a few home-made air coolers with copper tubing and fans, but it was barely keeping the humidity down, and Ted is wasting his entire Saturday sprawled out on their couch, down to his skivvies and a fan pointed at him, while he and Skeets watch a movie together.

"I don't get it... Are they _depressed_ animals?"

"No! It's about the secret life animal pets lead. I think it's cute, it is my favorite movie from this era."

"That's nice. Next time, I get to pick the movie. Okay, Skeets?"

"Alright!" The softly triangular robot sounds happy, his black screen of a 'face' lighting up with a little smiley-face emoticon that changes to a question mark, as Booster comes through the front door of the apartment, in casual clothing.

His entrance drags a hot wave of air behind him, and Ted complains.

"Hey, shut the door! I'm already at my limits of how much heat I can take."

"Ah, there you are! I guess... Huh," Booster glances at the television, and smiles. "Oh! It's that weird pet movie! Skeets, you win the coin toss, tonight?"

"Yes, sir!" Skeets hovers further above the couch in happiness.

Ted also sits up, tugging his undershirt down his belly. "Where have you been? If I had you here, I would've been able to watch Top Gun, not... Are those...Ku-lats??"

"Culottes, actually! It's just been so hot, I broke out some of my old clothes to try and beat the heat." Booster corrects Ted, and looks him over. "Are those briefs?"

"All my boxers are in the wash. Answer my question, Booster."

"It was Rip." Booster answers, taking a seat beside Ted on the couch, his artificial arm already drawing condensation from the air. "He gave me the runaround for a while, something about demons yadda-yadda, multiverse, whatnot.”

Booster hand-waves, kicks his sneakers off. “It wasn't my fault, at least. Rip needs your help with something, was the end of his long-winded request."

  
"What could Rip Hunter possibly need my help for? You haven't even seen him in how many years?" Ted says, exasperated. He also takes the time to turn the fan towards Booster as well, moving throw pillows to accommodate the taller man.

“It’s only been one year...Okay, two?” Booster rotates where he sits, props his feet up on the arm of the couch and lays his shoulders and head against Ted’s lap.

“ **Mike** -! Come on, I’m already melting.” But, Booster is flashing his big, blue eyes up at Ted and his shirt of the day is one of his form fitting tank-tops. Rubbing his nose and chin against Ted’s stomach. Ted Kord is a weak, weak man. “Didn’t he have a team last time he showed up?”

Booster nods, and turns his head to avoid muttering into Ted’s belly button. “Yeah, a few of them. He was adamant, and he said he’ll be waiting at Metropolis Park.”

Ted pulls a face, and Skeets is giggling at the TV.

“His ship is small, but it’s got _galactic schway_ air conditioning! You’d be doing me a favor too, Teddy.” Booster softly croons, and Ted promptly covers his entire face with a throw pillow. Booster keeps talking, muffled by the pillow. “Please? For your _lil_ ’ big ol’ Booster _Bear_?

Ted lets out a loud raspberry and uncovers Booster’s face. “Fine, if you promise to NEVER say those words in that order, ever again??”

 

* * *

 

  
After Booster falls asleep on his lap, Ted reluctantly leaves their apartment. He’s slathered in SPF50, a baseball cap on his head and wrap around sunglasses over his eyes. He’s a sticky mess by the time he reaches the park, sweating through his garishly printed shirt. There are hardly any people out in this weather, the entire park has gone a bit yellow from the heat and drought. “I could have taken the Bug…” IF he’d had any idea where Rip landed his own ship.

After a few minutes of wandering nearest to shade that he can find, Ted hears Rip call out, from behind him.“Over here, er-- Mr. Kord! ” He turns to see the time traveler striding across the grass, towards him. There there was something different about Rip Hunter that Ted couldn’t put his finger on...

Maybe the haircut? Maybe the mustache? Was he somehow...Shorter, than he used to be?

“You arrived faster than I assumed you would.” Ted envies Rip For his tailor, he looks fantastic and is barely sweating despite the three digit temperatures.

“Yeah, well, the weather is only getting worse and Booster radiates too much heat, when he sleeps.” Ted says, wiping his face with a Blue Beetle™ handkerchief. “Don’t call me _Mr. Kord_ , that’s weird. Just call me Ted.”

Rip gives Ted a curious look. “Your apartment? As in you both? You...Two share a home, now?”

“Yeah? We have for a while now, you know that.”

Now, Rip frowns. “Hm… Come. Follow me, my ship is this way. Booster was wearing shorts, when I saw him. What happened to his suit?”

“You mean the one he only wears when he’s on missions?”

“Oh...” Another frown from Rip.Ted is starting to be more intrigued than annoyed that he had to venture outside on a day like this. “Here. I’ve cloaked my ship.” He raises his hand, clicks something like a key fob and a small ramp leading into the ship appears. The inside is much smaller than Ted expects, it smells like Rip has been living in it for months on end.

The ‘cockpit’ is a three screen layout above a manual guidance system with one chair. It was tucked under a ladder and steel pipe system that hides a bed above it, like an odd bunk. Only, this ‘bunk-bed’ had parts of the cooling system running beneath it, the ship was that small.

“What happened to your big ship? This one is smaller than my bathroom!” Ted asks, removing his hat and fanning himself with it. The ship is cool inside, at least. That explains Rip’s bare sheen of sweat. “The one with all your friends? Did they leave back to their original timelines?

“Something like that. This is why I’ve called on you for assistance.” Rip points at the desk like area of his ‘cock-pit’ and Ted sees he’s taken apart some complicated, fiddly looking piece of hardware. Almost small enough to be a bracelet. “It is a temporal stabilization device, I’ve brought it to you since The Flash couldn’t fix it, nor could S.T.A.R. labs.”

Ted takes a seat in the only chair there is and swivels the seat to face the tiny bits. “Oh? Did she do something dumb, again?” He asks, unzipping his fanny-pack to pull free his own miniature tool-kit. “Change time? Change Bats’ timeline?”

“No– He– I mean,” Rip almost stumbles over his own words, and Ted finally notices how tired   
the time traveler looks. “The Flash is simply in need. Why are you interrogating me.”

“It’s been two years since I’ve so much as seen you, Rip, I was just trying to catch up. Do you have any extra lighting in here? I can’t see in this dim stuff, I’m getting old.”

Rip turns one on, that’s tucked up in the framework of his bed, illuminating the workspace.

“Thanks. Did you try to repair this, yourself? It’s almost outside my scope of understanding. I had no idea you were such an engineer!” He lays out his tools and looks over the parts, lifts the largest part into one hand and inspects it against the light. “Who built this?”

“Someone in the future. Did you say it’s been two entire years since we have seen one another?”

“Mm-hm.” Ted is already working out the design in his mind, trying to conceptualize how the internal schematics worked when it was all in one piece. “You mentioned The Flash and S.T.A.R. labs, they have someone who can work on tech this complex? I don’t work there!”

“S.T.A.R. labs had a very capable engineer who would have little trouble repairing this but he is… unavailable at this time,” Rip says evasively. “At any rate, I am certain you are equal to the task.”

  
“Equal? There’s no one at that lab better or on par with me.” Ted cuts Rip a glance, looks him over. Rip is leaning against the wall of the ship, and Ted lets out an _a-ha!_ And points his tiny hex-screwdriver at Rip. “You’re not wearing a coat! That’s why you look so different.”

“Yes, my coat,” Rip says. He sighs and tips the back of his head against the wall. “It's been destroyed.”

  
“I’m surprised Booster didn’t try to stuff you into one of his custom made coats. Ever since I taught him how to sew, he hasn’t stopped.” Ted says, humming softly as he works. “ He conned Guy into wearing those iridescent windbreaker pants and then Guy wore them for a half a year. Mike also made me this shirt.”

Ted almost sounds like he’s annoyed, but he’s smiling to himself as he talks and works at the same time. Curled over the desk as his fingers fly across the miniature pieces, fixing them together. “I should be done soon.”

“Yes. _Mike_?” Rip pauses, clears his throat. “You call him **_Mike_**?”

“Sure. He’s my boyfriend, sometimes I do.”

“He-! He’s your _lover_?" Rip blurts out, before covering his mouth with a few fingers.

Ted twists around to look up at him, and narrows his eyes. “Yeah…? We’ve been together for a few years now. Uh… oh, wow. It’s been six years already?” Ted rolls his shoulders in a shrug, but he catches sight of Rip Hunter; shaken and pale beneath his mustache, and then he feels just as shocked. “Whoa, Rip! What’s going on? You look like you just saw a ghost!”

“It’s nothing. The device– is it nearly finished?” Rip demands, although he’s sweating now, even within the overly cool ship.

“Yeah, I just need to finish… Wait.” Ted glances between the bracelet in his own hand, then back to Rip, before he gets to his feet. “Is this for you?? I should have known! The Flash might be kinda new to the game but she’s not made a mistake of the caliber that Barry used to!”

“Fine! It’s mine. Now, finish it and return it to me–” There’s so little sound in the tiny area, Ted hears the inhale. The beginnings of the exhale, where someone’s breath is about to form a word it does not want to. A stuttering that makes Rip cough over the letter _‘D’_. “–h, I mean, _Kord_. Please. I don’t have much time, less if this universe is the one I intended to find. Gideon-” Rip curses. “I forgot. She’s not here.”

“Why would Nora’s A.I. be here?” Ted is holding the temporal stabilizer in one hand, a portable, fold-able soldering gun in the other, a creation of his own that enabled Ted to solder single handedly and on the go. Working as he stands close enough to Rip that their stomachs almost touch. “I mean ‘ _The Flash’_. Here. Wrist.”

Ted uses the same tone on Rip that he does on Booster whenever Booster does something foolish, and Rip sticks out his arm with a speed that surprises them both.

“Alright.” Ted quickly snaps it into place around the redhead’s arm and latches it. “There, unless you mangle it again, it should last...Well… Forever. That tech is beyond me, you’re lucky all that was broken was the mounting.”

“That was only the support?” Rip frowns again, and this close, Ted sees the dimple in his chin that appears when he creases his mouth. “I see…”

“Listen. This may not be my place to say, but… Booster talks about you all the time. He misses you. Come around sometimes. I’ll teach you how to repair whatever I understand of this. Make sure you never think ANYONE at any S.T.A.R. labs could be on the same level as I am.”

“Perhaps, after... My crew... They aren’t gone. I was the one to disappear. There were circumstances I am not proud of. Ones beyond my control.” Rip mutters, rubbing his fingertips against his chin. “I am trying to find them, again. Before they assume the very worst.”

“Then go to Booster, anyways! There’s got to be a reason you trust Booster enough to tell him about random time events, he can help. PLUS.” Ted gesticulates with both hands. “Booster’s arm is his power-source now, he’ll be fine! He hasn’t time traveled in so long, he’d probably go bonkers if you took him along.”

“If my plans fall though… I promise you, I will.”

“Good! Somewhere out there, your mom is worried sick about you, doesn’t she deserve to hear from her Rippy again?”

Ted has never seen Rip Hunter smile before, and when he does, it has the same sun over the horizon gleam to it that Booster’s does and Ted is overwhelmed for a heartbeat because it reminds him so strongly of ( _Michael in the morning, touching his cheek. Holding him, dancing in the Justice League cafeteria at night. Kissing his forehead from a hospital bed_ )

It reminds him of Booster Gold.

_It reminds him of himself_ .

Booster peeking through and then, in the blink of an eye, Rip’s smile is finished and he snorts out a sardonic laugh.

“Yes. That could be. This is working better than it did, before it broke down. Perhaps the power source was encumbered by that thick casing. This was a souvenir more than anything.” Rip turns his wrist over, inspecting his device and turns the lamp off. “Thank you. I will return. I have nothing else to offer you in return than a favor.”

“Alright… I could count half of it covered if you give me a ride over to my apartment before you go.”

Rip gestures at the ‘bunk-bed’s ladder. “You may want to hold onto that, she does not fly steady.”

 

* * *

 

  
Booster is still sleeping on the couch when Ted comes home, Skeets in low-power mode, perched on Booster’s stomach. They both stir soon as Ted strides through the living room, into the spare bedroom of their apartment. He’s only half awake when Ted returns, holding one of the black coats Booster has made himself.

“I’m taking one of your coats, Mike.”

“Mm… _Okay_ …”

“I’ll be right back. You need some water?”

“No… _Yes_ … Are you done already?” Booster yawns, and he falls back asleep before Ted can reply.

The hike back up to the roof isn’t too bad, he’s already as hot as he can possibly be and night is beginning to fall, finally bringing a bit of relief to Metropolis.

“Here. This one should fit your shoulders and belly. He made it for me, and it’s just not my taste.” Ted hands the coat to Rip. Who stares at it for a moment longer than Ted expects, then he pulls it on in silence.

“It fits perfectly. I suppose our measurements aren’t very dissimilar. Thank you, Ted.”

“No problem! Just… Promise me you’ll be careful, alright?”

Rip says nothing, but he nods.

“Also, uhhh, do you buy your clothes from a future clothes store? “

“No. I make my own.”

Rip nearly smiles again, and Ted stays outside until long after Rip’s ship has disappeared into the darkening, night sky, staring.

 

“....Was he gonna say… _dad_?”

**Author's Note:**

> A snapshot in the life of Booster and Ted from an au I made for myself where everything is the same, but Booster and Ted having a better relationship/etc lead to some events being different ( mostly it's just a cute sappy AU ) - thepopculturejunky wanted Booster figuring out Rip wa his, but...It's Ted and LoT Rip figuring out something about himself all the sudden, haha


End file.
